State visit to South Korea: Day 2

The Queen speaks with students during her visit to Ewha Womans University. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/Scanpix

On Wednesday 30 May, The King and Queen continued their state visit to South Korea.

The state visit formally began with the laying of a wreath and an incense ceremony at the Memorial Tower at the Seoul National Cemetery. The King and Queen were then received at the Blue House presidential palace, where the official welcoming ceremony took place. The King presented the Order of the Seraphim to President Lee Myung-bak, after which private discussions took place between the official delegations from South Korea and Sweden. After the welcoming ceremony, The King attended a lunch hosted by the Korea-Sweden Cultural Society. The Korea-Sweden Cultural Society was founded in 2002, and works to promote cultural and educational exchanges through books, exhibitions and various scholarships. At the same time, The Queen visited Ewha Womans University, one of the world's largest women's universities, which was founded in 1886. The Queen learnt about the university and its history, after which a lunch was held together with Korean women in management positions. The Queen then launched a Swedish film festival at the university. The afternoon began with a visit to the War Memorial Museum of Korea and Changdeok Palace, and the day concluded with a state banquet hosted by the South Korean Presidential couple.